God's Lonely Man

Cop Car

Carmilla sighs and knocks on her mother's office door. "Mother, it's me."

"Come in."

Carmilla stills for a second. That was a rather harsh tone. She carefully opens the door.

"Sit."

Carmilla does as asked and raises an eyebrow.

"I have heard from... multiple sources... That not only are you and Laura Hollis still spending time together, but that you and her seem to beromantically involved."

Carmilla's eyes widen and she swallows hard, at a loss for words.

"I take it from your silence that these accounts are valid?"

"Mother––"

"––I told you to stay away from her."

Carmilla freezes. This is it. This is the time to make a decision.

Ever since they had established that they were exclusive, it was like there was a weight off her chest. Laura is always so willing to look for the good in everyone and everything, and it has done wonders for Carmilla's generally gloomy-disposition. Even Will had commented on it on her way in to see her mother.

It feels like she and Laura can take on the world together.

And maybe–– just maybe–– take on her mother together.

Carmilla clenches her jaw. "No," she finally says quietly.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm not staying away from her, mother," Carmilla growls.

For once, Lilita Morgan looks shocked and is speechless.

"Look," Carmilla begins, trying to take advantage of the courage she's suddenly found, "the night that I killed Officer Kay, Laura was... there. She saw me burying the body."

She was not about to tell her mother that Laura was the one burying Ellis's body.

"My car got stuck in the mud because I didn't know the area around there and she drove me home and promised not to tell anyone. When her dad started asking me questions about why my car was in the area the bodies were buried, she gave me an alibi."

"And why would she do such a thing?"

"I don't know," Carmilla answers truthfully. "But he's been hounding her ever since to change the alibi, and she won't."

Her mother sighs and crosses her arms, staring her down.

"Mother, she isn't a problem, and she will never become one. I promise," Carmilla says, trying not to sound too desperate.

They sit in silence for a bit before the Dean uncrosses her arms. "She saw you bury a body and didn't turn you in?"

"No."

"And she just... gave you an alibi uncoerced?"

"Yes."

"She shows absolutely no signs of rescinding it? No second-guessing?"

Carmilla shakes her head.

"How... odd." She taps her fingers on the armrest of her chair.

A few more moments pass as she seems to be mulling over her options.

Carmilla tries to gauge what her mother's final decision will be, but the expression is unreadable.

Finally, she speaks. "Fine. Continue this... whatever this is. But, do it with caution, Carmilla."